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In 2021, about 23.9 million people fell victim to identity theft, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ latest data(1).
What is a credit freeze?
A credit freeze is when you temporarily stop anyone from being able to perform a hard pull with a specific credit bureau. In short, freezing your credit report stops you and anyone else from opening new credit accounts.
But why would anyone freeze their credit reports?
Most folks do a credit freeze if they suspect they are victims of identity theft. Freezing your credit report blocks new creditors from accessing it, which means they can’t approve them for new credit like a credit card or auto loan.
Hot tip: Soft inquiries can still happen during a credit freeze
You can still view your credit reports during a credit freeze. Credit freezes only stop hard inquiries, and viewing your own reports is considered a soft inquiry.
How to freeze your credit for free
You can freeze your credit report for free by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and Transunion.
Only current creditors you have, select government entities (such as child support agencies) and approved companies that monitor your credit file can view your credit reports during a credit freeze.
How to freeze your credit report with TransUnion
Visit TransUnion Credit Freeze and create a free account. Or, log in to manage an existing one. Follow the instructions and fill out a freeze form. You can also call 888-909-8872 and request a freeze after verifying your identity. If you prefer to send the request by mail use P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016.
How to freeze your credit report with Equifax
Visit the Equifax Consumer Services Center and create a free account or manage one you have with the bureau. Afterward, fill out a freeze form. You can also call 1-800-685-1111 and request a freeze. Or, you can send a request to P.O. Box 740256 Atlanta, GA 30374.
How to freeze your credit report with Experian
Visit the Experian Freeze Center and create an account or log-in to your current one. Then, fill out a freeze form. You can also request a freeze over the phone by dialing 888-397-3742. Or you can send a written request to Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013. The written request should include the following.
Your full name including initial
Social Security number
Complete addresses for the past two years
Date of birth
Copy of a government issued identification card, such as a driver’s license or state ID card
Copy of a utility bill or bank statement
Information you need to freeze your credit
To freeze your credit report, you’d need to provide some personal information:
Legal name
Current address
Former address
Social Security number
Birthdate
Copy of proof of identity like a Social Security card
Copy of proof of address such as a driver’s license or state-issued ID
How to freeze your child’s credit
If your child is under 16, you can request a free credit freeze from each of the three credit bureaus under their behalf. To do this, you’d need to contact each of the three credit bureaus online, by phone or by mail.
While requirements for freezing your child’s credit report may vary across bureaus, you should keep the following information and documentation at hand.
Your and your child’s full legal name
A copy of you and your child’s birthdate
You and your child’s Social Security card
Proof of address such as a utility bill
A list of all your home addresses for the past two years
A copy of your driver’s license or other government-issued ID
How to freeze your child’s credit with TransUnion
To freeze your child’s credit with TransUnion, you’d need to send a written request to place a “protected consumer freeze” on your child’s file to TransUnion P.O. Box 380 Woodlyn, PA 19094.
It should contain one copy of the following documentation, according to TransUnion’s credit freeze FAQ(2).
An order issued by a court of law
A lawfully executed and valid power of attorney
A copy of a birth certificate
With respect to a protected consumer who has been placed in a foster care setting, a written communication from a county welfare department or its agent or designee, or a county probation department or its agent or designee, certifying that the protected consumer is in a foster care setting under its jurisdiction.
Documentation proving your identity such as Social Security number, birth certificate or a drivers license.
How to freeze your child’s credit with Equifax
To freeze your child’s credit report with Equifax, you’d need to fill out a minor security freeze request form. And you’d need to send that form along with the following documents to Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348.
To prove your identity (A copy of one of the following)
Government issued ID
Social Security card
Birth certificate
To prove your child’s identity (A copy of one of the following)
Child’s birth certificate
Court order
Lawfully executed and valid power of attorney
Foster care certification
How to freeze your child’s credit with Experian
To freeze your child’s credit with Experian, visit Experian’s Child Identity Theft Protection webpage and click on “Add or remove security freeze for a minor.” Then, complete the form and under the “Additional information” heading, click “Place a security freeze on your child’s credit file.” Print the form and mail along with a copy of your ID and your child’s documentation to Experian P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013.
Here’s the information and documentation you’ll need to complete the process.
Full legal name
Social Security number
Birthdate
A list of all your home addresses for the past two years
Government-issued ID card
A piece of mail or utility bill or bank statement showing your current address.
Your child’s birth certificate
Your child’s Social Security card
How long does a credit freeze last?
You decide how long a credit freeze lasts. The credit freeze will continue until you specifically ask the bureau to “thaw” your credit reports.
You can unfreeze a credit report for free by contacting each of the three credit bureaus in the same fashion you initially froze your credit report. You can request a thaw to unfreeze it for a certain period of time or permanently unfreeze it.
Sending a request to unfreeze your credit reports should only take a few minutes via online, after verifying your identity.
Will freezing my credit hurt my credit score?
Freezing your credit report won’t harm your credit. It helps protect your information from falling into the hands scammers. However, you won’t be able to access new credit until you unfreeze your credit.
Freezing your credit report can safeguard your private information from scammers because a freeze blocks new creditors from accessing your credit report without your permission.
If you want to freeze your credit report, you’d need to contact the three credit bureaus Equifax, TransUnion and Experian and fill out some forms, and verify your identify. If you’re wondering if you need a freeze, you can get your free credit report to see if there’s any unusual activity.
Frequently asked questions
A credit freeze and credit lock both block anyone from accessing your credit report without your explicit permission. But a credit lock is not free and usually is part of a subscription-based service that bundles different identity theft protection features.
No. Experian and Equifax no longer require a PIN to manage a freeze and you don't need a PIN to change your freeze at TransUnion.
Javier Simon is a freelance finance writer at Finder and a certified educator in personal finance (CEPF).
He’s featured on NerdWallet, Bankrate, Yahoo Finance and Fox Business, where he’s shared his expertise on personal finance topics, such as investing, retirement planning, taxes, budgeting and savings.
He has also covered breaking news, such as student loan forgiveness initiatives, the housing market and inflation’s impact on consumers’ wallets.
His passion is turning complex financial concepts into actionable content that can help people improve their financial lives.
Javier holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism from SUNY Plattsburgh.
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Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto.
Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt.
Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others.
Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine.
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